REPORT ON THE ALC YON ARIA. 169 



Aeis nutans is described as follows, " Polj^arium in piano ramosum, ramis gracilibus 

 erebre ramosis nee anastomosantibus, subalternis, irregulariter digestis ; statura 5-7 

 poUicaris ; ramuli cellulis promiuulis subnodosis evanescentibus ; axis fuscus, cortex 

 miniaceus, cellularum ore atro-nigrescente." It is also added that the large spicules, 

 which form the "bark," seem to be covered with " une couche animale tres-mince et 

 tres fugace." 



The enlarged figure given by Duchassaing and Michelotti of the polyps of this species 

 resembles in a very striking manner the same portions of the species we now describe, 

 while the phenomena of the animal matter covering the canicnchyma, and the red coral 

 colour are in common with our species. We further think we can recognise a sclerogorgic 

 form of central axis in the drawing of the colony of Acis nutans. While, therefore, 

 there can be no doubt as to the necessity of a new genus, to receive the species taken 

 during the Challenger Expedition, some doubt must remain as to whether it may not 

 be the same species as the form from Santa Cruz. Fresh specimens from this island 

 would enable the question to be determined. 



Keroeides koreni, n. sp. (PI. XL. fig. 3). 



No perfect colony was found, but from a large tin filled with a tangled mass of 

 Alcyonarians, from Station 232, Japan, several broken fragments of this pretty new form 

 were taken. 



Judging from the broken fragments, the colony was attached, with stem erect, and 

 branches proceeding at nearly right angles to the main axis, and from these smaller 

 branches again proceeded after the same fashion, these possibly slightly pendulous. The 

 polyps are found over the main stem and branches, but with a marked tendency towards 

 a bilateral arrangement ; on some of the smaller branches the lateral arrangement of the 

 pol)^is with a central groove between them is very clearly seen. 



The polyps are placed within somewhat flattened verrucse, the twigs appear to 

 terminate in two polyps, of which one is somewhat in advance of the other ; there appears 

 to be a slight tendency to a pendulous habit in the terminal twigs. 



The colour in spirits is a bright red, like wax coloured with vermilion, which has 

 suggested the generic title. 



The central axis of this species is composed of a dense Ijundlc of elongated calcareous 

 spicules, strongly resembUng in contour the prosenchymatous cells in the bundle-tissue of 

 plants, they are smooth spindles, pointed at both ends, and slightly inflated in the middle, 

 differing but little from those figured l)y Ktilliker, as found in " Sclerogorgia vcrnculata" 

 but much larger, measuring 0-40-0-05; 0-36-0-04; 0-34-0-04; 0-28-0-05; while to some 

 extent they form a network, yet they would ajipear more generally to be agglutinated 

 to one another, side by side, slightly intercalating with each other by their acute ends, 



(ZOOL. OHALL. EXP. — PAKT LXIV. — 1888.) SsS 22 



